Poinsettia plant named ‘Duepowhiwon’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Poinsettia  plant named ‘Duepowhiwon’, characterized by its upright to slightly outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; strong lateral branches; relatively early flowering habit; inflorescences with large pale yellow-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEPOWHIWON’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duepowhiwon’.

The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create moderately vigorous Poinsettia plants with strong lateral branches, upright plant habit and attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2013 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number EE04-000817-001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number EE09-002443-001, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Poinsettia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in December, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since January, 2018 has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duepowhiwon’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duepowhiwon’ as a new and distinct Poinsettia plant:

-   -   1. Upright to slightly outwardly spreading and uniformly         mounding plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Strong lateral branches.     -   4. Relatively early flowering habit.     -   5. Inflorescences with large pale yellow-colored flower bracts.     -   6. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower bract color as plants of the new Poinsettia have pale yellow-colored flower bracts and plants of the female parent selection have red-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in leaf color as plants of the new Poinsettia have darker green-colored leaves than plants of the male parent selection. In addition, the lower surface of the flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia are slightly more rugose than the lower surface of the flower bracts of plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Dueinfinitywi’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,995. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of ‘Dueinfinitywi’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more upright than and not as         outwardly spreading as plants of ‘Dueinfinitywi’.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have longer leaves than plants         of ‘Dueinfinitywi’.     -   3. Flower bracts of plants of the new Poinsettia are longer and         broader than flower bracts of plants of ‘Dueinfinitywi’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duepowhiwon’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the summer and autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse and under cultural practices typical of commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Single plants were grown in 13-cm containers and were pinched one time about three weeks after planting the cuttings. Plants were 23 weeks old when the photograph and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fifth Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.     ‘Duepowhiwon’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number             EE04-000817-001, not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number             EE09-002443-001, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate             temperature and age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Upright to slightly outwardly             spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately             vigorous growth habit; inverted triangle in overall plant             shape; inflorescences with large flower bracts positioned             above the foliar plane.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 35 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching habit             with about six to seven lateral branches developing after             pinching. Length: About 22 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 1.2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 11.7 cm. Width: About 7.6 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Dentate. Texture, upper             surface: Glabrous; smooth. Texture, lower surface: Glabrous;             rugose. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves,             upper surface: Close to 135A. Developing leaves, lower             surface: Close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to 139A; venation, close to 146A. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B; venation,             close to 146B to 146C. Petioles: Length: About 5 cm.             Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             144A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with flower bracts subtending the             cyathia; one inflorescence per lateral branch with             inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliar plane.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally during the             autumn and winter under long nyctoperiod conditions;             inflorescence initiation and development can be induced             under artificial long nyctoperiod conditions; relatively             early flowering habit, response time is about eight weeks.         -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production             longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good             substance and bract color for about twelve weeks under             interior conditions.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 33 cm. Height (depth):             About 3 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 15. Length:             About 17 cm. Width: About 11.7 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Dentate. Aspect: Mostly             flat. Texture, upper surface: Glabrous; smooth. Texture,             lower surface: Glabrous; rugose. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Color: Developing bracts, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             18D. Transitional bracts, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             18C. Fully developed bracts, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 8D; venation, close to 8D; color does not change with             development. Bract petioles: Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter:             About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144C.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 15. Length: About 8 mm.             Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture, inner and outer             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When developing, inner             surface: Close to 143C. When developing, outer surface:             Close to 143B. Fully developed, inner surface: Close to             143B. Fully developed, outer surface: Close to 143B to 143C.             Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: Typically one. Length:             About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture,             inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When             developing and fully developed, inner surface: Close to 17A.             When developing and fully developed, outer surface: Close to             17C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             143C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium:             About 25. Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament color: Close             to 49C. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm.             Anther color: Close to 9B. Amount of pollen: Abundant.             Pollen color: Close to 14A. Pistils: Quantity per cyathium:             One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length: About 2 mm.             Style color: Close to 144B. Stigma shape: Crested. Stigma             color: Close to 46B. Ovary color: Close to 144A. Seeds and             fruits: To date, seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Poinsettia. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Poinsettia     have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Poinsettia plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 12° C. to about     40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘Duepowhiwon’ as illustrated and described. 